Emma's first period
by Notonthemap
Summary: Jessie catches Emma in an awkward situation but turns out to be helpful. A cute little bonding moment for both Emma and Jessie.
1. Chapter 1

The light of the overwhelming winter sun beamed through the huge window shadowing the staircase of the Ross' apartment. It was blinding and I found myself squinting just so I could make out the steps in front of me. I followed the winding stairs and was almost at the top when I felt something stab in my big foot. I looked down, holding my hand over my head to block the sun, and saw a big diamond earring face down on the stairs. I felt anger flood my lungs and I yelled "EMMAAAAA!" No reply came so I yelled again, but still nothing. It was one thing to leave her earring lying around just waiting to stab me, but to ignore me as well?

I reached the hallway and stomped to Emma's bedroom door. I lifted my fist and hit it against the hard wood, "Emma, we need to have a talk! You can't keep leaving your junk around!"

"Jessie, go away!" I heard Emma shout from inside her room. I would not usually have gotten so worked up over a little earring but my date with Toni the night before hadn't gone so well, so I was mad at him as well as everything else in life.

"Emma, I am your Nanny! Don't talk to me that way." I protested, and with that I stormed into Emma's room.

"Jessie! Get the hell out of here!" Emma screamed as she pulled a blanket over her bare legs. I realised she wasn't wearing any pants. I was about to leave when I saw the tears staining the blonde's pale cheeks. I suddenly felt a wave of guilt swallow me, was she crying because I yelled at her?

"Emma? Emma what's the matter?"

"Jessie, please get out of here..." I looked at her big blue eyes that were filled with tears and went and sat on her bed next to her. It felt pretty awkward because she had no pants on and only a blanket covering herself but I tried to ignore it.

"Sweetie, why are you crying?" I asked, taking her cheek in my hand. "You can tell me honey, I promise its okay." I rescued a strand of fine blonde hair hanging free in her eyes and tucked it behind her ear. She stayed silent for a minute or two. "Emma, really. Tell me what's upsetting you. I can help."

She looked up at me "Jessie... there's blood."

My heart sank, how badly was she hurt? "Emma where's the blood!?" I started to look up her arms and round her neck. She pulled away.

"Jessie... the blood... it's in my girl place..." I felt my eyes widen. "Jessie, am I going to die?" I let out a big breath and wrapped my arms around her.

"Emma... don't you know what a period is?"

"Yes of course, it comes at the end of a sentence." She looked at me innocently. I let out a small chuckle but Emma did not look amused. I couldn't believe that a 12-year-old girl had no idea what a period was. I remembered my first period: I was ten-years-old and when I went and told my mom she threw a tampon at me and told me to not speak of such disgusting things ever again. I remembered feeling so lost all the way through puberty... I decided I would not let Emma know that struggle. "Emma haven't you ever had sex education at school?" She looked at me like I was speaking another language.

"No, what's that?" I knew I was in for a ride. I had no idea where to begin.

"First of all sweetie, I want you to know that what is happening to your body is totally normal, it happens to me too. Actually most girls your age have it happen." I looked at her to see if she was taking any of what I was saying in but she was staring back at me with complete focus. "Okay so... let's just imagine this: in your body there's a special system that has been asleep since you were made, but now you're going through this new stage of life, it's woken up and started working." I smiled, quite proud of myself for getting through that without stumbling.

"A system? What kind of system?" she asked, seeming quite eager to know.

"Well" I started "Inside your body, just above your private area..." I swallowed deep, trying to find the courage to use the proper words "Just above your... vagina... there are eggs and a nest type thing. Once a month an egg goes into the nest and your body releases stuff, this is the blood, into the nest to keep the egg...safe. I think. But if the egg doesn't turn into a baby, it is released through the vagina... along with the blood. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I think so." The young woman whispered, looking down at her hands. I guess she was just as embarrassed as I was.

" It's called a period, Emma. That's what is happening to you. It just means your body is ready to have a baby."

"Jessie..."

"Yeah sweetie?"

"The blood... it went onto my pants. That's why I'm not wearing any." I laughed a little and hugged her, she started to laugh too. I knew I was doing a good job.

"Now, to catch the blood you have to wear a little pad in your underwear. It's kind of like a sponge. Grab some panties and come to my room, I have some." Emma looked nervous so I hugged her once more. She got up slowly and I noticed a patch of blood staining the back of the blanket that was wrapped around her waist. I quickly ran and grabbed her shoulders so I was standing behind her, covering the stain.

"Jessie what are you doing?"

"Trust me Emma... you'll thank me if we run into anyone in the hall." She just nodded her head at me and grabbed a pair of underpants. Together we shuffled down the hall and into my bedroom. I shut the door behind us. She went to sit on my bed but I quickly pulled her up "Emma don't sit down yet, wait until you have the pad on. Sorry baby, just you might bleed through to my white bed sheets... I don't want to have to explain to Burttrum why I have blood on my sheets... again." I went into my bathroom and brought out a pad. "Okay Emma..." I brought her close and took her panties from her hands. "you take the wrapper off like this and place it on like this." She smiled at me, I was enjoying the bonding time we were having. "You'll probably need to change this 3-4 times a day. Oh, and a period usually lasts for about 5 days."

"This is all so overwhelming, Jessie." Emma started to cry.

I took her in my arms "I know honey, but I'm here to help you every step of the way. You can ask me anything about this sort of thing, you don't need to be shy. We're both women now. So, put on your pants." I turned whilst she put on her underwear.

"It feels weird. Like a diaper." She giggled. We both went and sat on my bed and I took her little hand in mine.

"I'm proud of you sweetie. You're a woman." I was also proud of myself, I thought I'd done a great job at helping her.

"Jessie?"

"Yeah?"

"How does the egg get turned into a baby?"

My heart dropped... God help me.


	2. Chapter 2

I lay in bed that night really happy, I'd been there to help Emma with a big moment for her, even if she didn't know it yet. She was a woman and I was there watching her grow up. My phone started to buzz and when I picked it up I saw it was Christina calling me, then it occurred to me, I had experience this with Emma but her mother hadn't. I answered the phone "Hi Christina."  
"Hey Jessie, how were my little monsters today?"  
"They've been great... quiet but great."  
"Quiet? Well that's not like them."  
"Yeah... well it was a big day... for Emma anyway."  
"Really, Why? Oh God I didn't miss another school show did I?"  
"No no, don't worry. It's just she... she got her period. She actually had no idea what it was... but don't worry I helped her with everything." There was silence on the other end of the call. "Christina?" And then I heard the sound of gentle crying through my phone. "Christina, what's the matter?"  
"I'm such a terrible mother Jessie." She cried,  
"What why would you say that?"  
"I missed my little girl's first period... well she's not so little anymore I guess..." More crying.  
"Christina, don't cry, she's fine really! I told her everything." The crying only increased with my last comment.  
"I didn't even talk to her about periods! What kind of mother am I? Jessie what am I doing?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"I'm so distracted by my work and being away that I'm missing my children's childhoods. Emma's already a woman and I've missed nearly all of it."  
"Christina, do you want me to go and get the kids? You can talk with them."  
"I don't want them to hear me cry." My heart started to break and suddenly I felt really guilty. I was raising this woman's children, even if it was her choice, I still felt as though I was robbing her of part of her life. Then I heard Zuri calling me.  
"Jessie, can you come hereeeeee?" yelled Zuri. Suddenly Christina stopped crying  
"Is that little Zuri?"  
"Yeah, she's calling me."  
I heard the drop in Christina's tone and as she started to speak I could tell she was trying not to cry.  
"Jessssiiiieeeeee! I need you now!" Zuri repeated.  
"It's okay Jessie" Christina choked "Go see Zuri, thank you... for being there for them." And with that Christina hung up and I... started to cry.

I left to tend to Zuri. I found her waiting at the top of the stairs. "Sweetie, it's late what are you doing up?"  
"Emma's crying."  
"Well what's wrong with her?"  
"She won't tell me. She says she wants you."  
"Okay, thanks Zuri. Go to bed sweetie." I went to Emma's door and knocked, I made sure not to barge in, in case of a repeat of this morning. "Emma it's me can I come in?"  
"Yes." I opened the door.  
"Zuri said you were crying."  
"Jessie I don't know what to do."  
"Sweetie what's wrong?"  
"Well you know Phoebe?"  
"Sure."  
"She invited me to go swimming in her pool tomorrow."  
"That's great!"  
"No! It's not! My period! Remember?"  
"Oh my God Emma I'm sorry I just had a difficult conversation with... a friend... and it just slipped my mind."  
"I can't go swimming... can I?"  
"No... well at least not wearing a pad. You could always wear a tampon?"  
"What's that?"  
"Emma you really don't know any of this? What the hell do they teach in your school."  
"Jessie."  
"Right, right I'm sorry. I'm just feeling a little run down."  
"You're not the only one..."  
"Okay well a tampon is like a pad, it just... goes inside you instead of in your pants."  
"What!?"  
"Sweetie, they're really not that bad. But I don't know if I should be letting you... you're only 12, you need to be careful with tampons."  
"Jessie what am I supposed to do? If I tell Phoebe I can't go she'll wanna know why, and she doesn't have her period yet, I'm too embarrassed to tell her I have mine."  
"Why are you embarrassed? It will happen to her some day, it happens to every girl. Some just develop earlier than others, heck I got my period when I was 10."  
"10?!"  
"Yep. It wasn't easy. But I was also the first in my class to get boobs so I guess it wasn't all bad. All the other girls were jealous."  
"Jessie I'm just embarrassed about... developing... when none of my friends are yet."  
"Emma, I love having these talks with you, I love that you trust me... but maybe you should call your mom and tell her about this."  
"Why? Do you not want me to talk to you about it anymore?"  
"No it's just.." She cut me off  
"You said I could talk to you about this stuff but you were just lying."  
"No I wasn't I just thought.."  
"Get out of my room Jessie! If I can't even talk to you about this how am I supposed to tell my friend!"  
"Emma please.."  
"I said get out!" I stood up and walked out her room, Emma followed me and slammed her door in my face. Puberty was hitting this house fast and with full force. Luke came out of his room laughing  
"Well somebody has their period hahaha."  
"Luke what did you just say?"  
"Nothing I just... the guys at school say it to girls who are in a mood so I just..."  
"Don't ever say that again, it's so disrespectful to women! You're... you're grounded!" And I stormed into my bedroom and slammed the door. I instantly regretted being so hard on Luke but the truth was Emma wasn't the only one of her period and my mood swings were in full power.

I didn't mean to hurt Emma's feelings. I really did love her trusting me, I wanted her to fell like she could trust me. With my Mom I couldn't go to her for anything. I had to figure everything out myself. I always wanted a woman I could go to with these types of things and it hurt so bad that I didn't. I really wanted to be that woman for Emma. But I also wanted Christina to have the chance to be that woman for Emma too, even if she wasn't always there physically Emma should know that her mom is always there for her. I decided to go back and talk to her. "Emma it's me."  
"Go away."  
"Emma I'm coming in." I walked into her room and found her sitting on her bed.  
"I'm on the phone to Sadie, get out."  
"Look I know you're in a mood with me but I'm still your nanny and you will do as I say. Now hang up I need to talk to you." Emma scrunched up her face and hung up, then she folded her arms. "Emma" I sat down next to her "It's not that I don't want you to talk to me about everything you're going through; I'm here for you no matter what. All I meant was I think your mom would really like to be part of it as well."  
"Why? She's not here."  
"Maybe not physically, but she loves you Emma and she wants to be part of your life."  
"If she loves me so much how come she's never home to spend time with me?"  
"Emma I know your mom works a lot, but the reason she works so much is because she wants to be able to provide you all with this lifestyle that you know and love. She thinks you deserve the best because she loves you." Emma started to cry.  
"Jessie, I would give up everything I have in a second if I got to spend every day with my whole family." I'd never seen that side of Emma before. All she ever talked about were her clothes and money and stuff like that. It never even occurred to me that she would be hurting; in my eyes she had everything she wanted. But maybe not.  
"Oh sweetie, why don't you call her, talk to her about all this."  
"I can't. I don't know her. Why should she get to know me?"  
"I spoke to her earlier, all she wants is to know you all."  
"All I want is for her to come home." I wiped the tears from under her big eyes with the pad of my thumb then pulled her in close. I stroked her long blond hair whilst she cried. "Jessie, I want my mom to hug me like this."  
"Then maybe you should tell her that." I handed Emma her phone. "Just tell her what you're comfortable with. She already knows you got your period, I told her.  
"What if she's grossed out by me?"  
"Honey don't be silly. She's eager to hear from you. She was so upset earlier that she missed this moment. The least you could do is tell her about it."  
"You're right, Jessie. Thanks. I'm sorry for being mean earlier, I don't know what happened I just got so angry."  
"There's a lot more where that came from, you've hit puberty haha." I hugged her again and she laughed too.

I went back to my room and waited for Emma to make the call. This whole experience had been a learning moment for all of us. I was happy to know that Emma was getting closer. It all made me think that I might want kids some day.

An hour later Emma knocked on my door. "Hey Sweetie."  
"Hey." I pulled up my covers and she climbed into bed with me, then I wrapped a blanket around both our shoulders. Her face was wet with tears and her cheeks were a rosy pink.  
"How'd it go?"  
"Great, she said she's going to come home tomorrow. She's gonna get the first plane to here and then when she arrives we're going to go to lunch to celebrate me becoming a woman."  
"Emma that's awesome! Are you happy?"  
"I'm so happy."  
"Aww, sweetie." I kissed her head and we hugged.  
"She told me to thank you, for helping me."  
"It was my pleasure." She smiled "What are you going to do about swimming tomorrow?"  
"Mom told me how to use a tampon. She said maybe you could go with me to buy some in the morning?"  
"Of course Emma. I'll give you as much help as you need." 


End file.
